This invention relates to ultrasonic diagnostic imaging systems and, in particular, to ultrasound systems with integral wrist support pads.
Cart-borne ultrasound systems should be compact and easy to roll to a diagnostic lab or patient bedside. In use, these systems should be comfortable and convenient for the clinician to operate. Typically, such ultrasound systems have a control panel by which the clinician adjusts the features and performance of the system. These systems also generally have a keyboard by which the clinician can type in patient information and notations on images and reports produced by the system. In the past the keyboard has generally been made a part of the control panel, thereby presenting the full range of controls including the keyboard immediately in front of the operator. For a more compact design, it is desirable to integrate the control panel and keyboard together. For instance, if the keyboard is mounted beneath the control panel on a sliding drawer, the drawer and keyboard can be pulled out from under the control panel when needed, and rolled back under the control panel when not in use. Such an arrangement allows the control panel to be made smaller and more compact, as the keyboard is not a part of the control panel surface.
The clinician can spend many hours during the day operating the ultrasound system. To guard against fatigue and repetitive stress injuries and to afford comfort to the user, it is desirable to provide a support for the clinician""s hand or arm while operating the ultrasound system. Such a support should be convenient to use as well as providing the necessary support, and should not detract from a clean and elegant system design.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an ultrasound system control panel has the keyboard integrated into the control panel structure. The keyboard slides out from beneath the control panel for use, and slides back under the control panel when not needed. The control panel has a wrist pad to support the operator""s hand when operating the control panel. The keyboard is integrated into this wrist pad and has its own wrist pad when extended for use. Alternatively, the keyboard wrist pad can serve both the keyboard and the control panel. When the keyboard and its wrist pad are partially extended, the keyboard wrist pad provides an adjustable wrist pad for larger hands.